Feelings in a New Normal

Everyday is the chance to learn something new. This is what I tell my daughters everyday. And today, I did my fair share of learning.

Like everyone, these times are rough and ever changing. Once you feel like you have things figured out, one little thing changes and causes great disruptions. Today, that is what happened and it quickly became a learning experience for me.

Sophia is a creature of habit. She thrives on routine. This morning, she was dressed, after picking out her own clothes, before I had even gotten in the shower. Oh, and she had also brushed her teeth, she told me with a smile.

I took my shower and finished getting ready. In the meantime, Izzie woke up and was getting dressed, in my hallway. Jim was awake and waiting to get in the shower. The bathroom was getting crowded.

During breakfast, I told the girls that today would be different than the past two days. We are refinancing and this morning was our closing. We were willingly having someone in our house. The feelings toward this is a totally different story! I gave the girls an activity and told them that they were to stay upstairs. They asked what time the person was coming and my answer was 9:00. “But that’s when we start!” Sophia shouted. And she was right, mommy school started at 9:00 and now I was changing that.

It only spiraled from there. Sophia has gotten really great at expressing her feelings. Today she told me she felt sad. She misses her teachers. Mommy school and routine can’t make that better.

With all of the schedules and talking about e-learning, sometimes we need to take a step back and just give hugs. Kids are missing teachers and their friends. No matter the age, the feelings are the same. We need to hug our kids a little more tightly. We need to talk to them about their feelings and ours too. It is okay to be sad and scared and unsure. I know I am!

While today didn’t go as expected, nothing seems to be going as expected now. But I listened to my little girl and her needs. We ended the night with a movie, pizza, and s’mores. I was told I made the best s’mores. Not bad for a day that started out not too great.